Structure for supporting a motor-compressor unit in a housing

ABSTRACT

A hermetically sealed motor-compressor unit comprising a motorcompressor unit for a mechanical refrigeration system and a sealed housing for carrying the motor-compressor unit in a suspended manner. For suspending the motor-compressor unit in the sealed housing, a plurality of coil springs are employed, each of which has one end wedged by a bracket welded to the interior of the housing and the other end pressure-fitted into an opening formed at the base of a crankcase of the motor-compressor unit.

Stas nt [191 Kurita ct al.

[ STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING A MUTUR-COMPRESSOR UNIT IN A HOUSllNG [75] Inventors: Yuko Kurita; Yasuhiro Kawanishi;

Katsuji Yoshikawa; Kiyoshi, Tanaha, all of Oaza, J apan [73] Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Moriguchi City; Tokyo Sanyo Electric (10., 1161., Oraguun Gumma Pref., both of, Japan [22] Filed: Oct. 16, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 297,600

[51] int. 131. F041) 17/00, F16f 15/00 [58] lField of Search 417/360, 363, 902, 410,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,153,387 4/1939 Newman 248/20 2,287,203 6/1942 Smith 417/363 Nov. 19, 1974 3,089,639 5/1963 Hannibal 248/15 3,185,389 3/1965 Loberg 417/363 3,188,141 6/1965 Wright 248/20 3,361,398 1/1968 Brinkman et al. 248/20 3,367,609 2/1968 Latter 417/363 3,396,908 8/1968 Vind 417/902 3,407,990 10/1968 Schaefer 417/415 Primary ExaminerWil1iam L. F'reeh Assistant Examiner-Gregory P. LaPointe Attorney, Agent, or FirmArmstrong, Nikaido & Wegner [57] ABSTRACT A hermetically sealed motor-compressor unit comprising a motor-compressor unit for a mechanical refrigeration system and a sealed housing for carrying the motor-compressor unit in a suspended manner. For suspending the motor-compressor unit in the sealed housing, a plurality of coil springs are employed, each of which has one end wedged by a bracket welded to the interior of the housing and the other end pressurefitted into an opening formed at the base of a crankcase of the motor-compressor unit.

2 Claims, 9 Drawing; Figures llb STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING A MOTOR-COMPRESSOR UNIT IN A HOUSING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a hermetically sealed motor and/or compressor unit for a mechanical refrigeration system and the like and, more particularly, to an improved spring suspension of the motorcompressor unit within the hermetically sealing housmg.

The hermetically sealed motor-compressor unit for the mechanical refrigeration system heretofore largely employed comprises, in general, a motor-compressor unit including a motor assembly mounted with a crankcase and a sealed housing within which the motorcompressor unit is suspended by means of a plurality of coil springs each having one end connected with the crankcase and the other end connected with the interior surface of the housing.

Prior art, for example, US. Pat. No. 3,089,639, shows a typical method of suspending the motorcompressor unit within the sealed housing for the above conventional hermetically sealed motorcompressor unit where a Power end of each one of the coil springs is threaded into a socket integrally formed with said crankcase and the other upper end thereof is threaded into a bracket. Each bracket having an arm portion formed with a threaded opening into which the other upper end of the coil spring is threaded and a leg portion is designed so as to be connected with the interior surface of the housing in such a manner that said leg portion is inserted in a rectangular opening of a fixture welded to the interior surface of the housing.

According to the conventional hermetically sealed motor-compressor unit assembled in the method mentioned above, in view of the fact the upper end of each one of the coil springs employed is first connected with the associated bracket which is in turn connected with the fixture melded to the interior wall of the housing, a relatively large space is required between the periphery of the motor-compressor unit and the interior surface of the housing, which corresponds to more than the combined thickness of the leg portion of the bracket and the fixture. Furthermore, since the socket and the arm portion of the bracket for each coil spring must be threaded to permit both ends of said coil spring to be threadably engaged in said socket and said arm portion, an additional step of manufacture is required, which ultimately leads to increased manufacturing costs.

In addition thereto, the assembly of the hermetically sealed motor-compressor unit is complicated. In other words, after the motor-compressor unit with the crank case carrying the combination of each coil spring and its associated bracket has been mounted into the housing, the leg portion of each one of the brackets mounted on the upper ends of the coil springs must be exactly aligned with the opening formed by the fixture secured to the interior surface of the housing. This aligning procedure is very difficult in view of the flexibility each coil spring has.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, accordingly, the present invention has for its essential object to provide an improved structure for suspending a refrigeration motorcompressor unit within a housing with substantial elimination of the abovementioned inconveniences inherent in the assembly of the motor-compressor unit of similar kind.

The present invention provides for in a mechanical refrigerating system and the like, where a motor and/or compressor unit is required to be suspended in a vibration absorbing manner therefrom, including a motor and/or compressor unit having a crankcase mounted thereon and a housing adapted for receiving therein said motor and/or compressor unit, the improvement in structure for mounting said motor'compressor unit in said housing which comprises a plurality of brackets secured on the interior of the housing in suitably spaced relation to one another, openings of the number corresponding to that of said brackets and formed at the base of said crankcase of said motor-compressor unit in correspondingly spaced relation to one another and coil springs of the number corresponding to that of said brackets or said openings and each having one end wedged by the corresponding one of said brackets such that each coil spring is supported thereby and the other end of each coil spring being engaged in the corresponding one of said openings whereby said motorcompressor unit is yieldably suspended in said housing. Preferably, said other end of each one of said coil springs is pressure-fitted into said corresponding one of said openings. Advantageously, each one of said brackets consists of a leg portion welded to the interior of said housing and an arm portion carrying said one end of each one of said coil springs, said arm portion being formed with a split portion which receives a convolution of said coil spring therethrough when said one end of each of said coil springs is wedged into said bracket. Each of said coil springs suitably has a radially outwardly extending end extremity adjacent to said other end of said coil spring and further comprising engagement notches one for each opening formed adjacent to said openings at the base of said crankcase, each of said engagement notches adapted to retain firmly in place the corresponding one of said coil springs after the latter has been engaged in said opening.

The present invention further offers in a mechanical refrigeration system including a motor-compressor unit having a crankcase mounted thereon and a housing adapted for receiving therein said motor-compressor unit, the improvement'in structure for mounting said motor-compressor unit in said housing which com prises a plurality of brackets each consisting of a leg portion and an arm portion and welded to the interior of said housing through said leg portion, said brackets being located on the interior of the housing in suitably spaced relation to one another, openings of a number corresponding to that of said brackets and formed at the base of said crankcase of said motor-compressor unit in correspondingly spaced relation to one another and coil springs of a number corresponding to that of said brackets or said openings and each having one end wedged by the corresponding one of said brackets through said arm portion such as to permit said arm portion to support said one end of said coil spring and the other end pressure-fitted into the corresponding one of said openings whereby said motor-compressor unit can be yieldably suspended in the housing. Suitably, one of the ends of each one of said openings, which is flush with the base of said crankcase is partially closed by a suitable closure member when said crankcase is mounted on said motor-compressor unit with the spring pressure-fitted thereinto. Advantageously, said closure member constitutes a part of the motor-compressor unit. In a preferred embodiment each of said openings has a longitudinal axis inclined such that the coil springs extend radially outwardly with respect to the motor-compressor unit between said openings and said brackets and, correspondingly, each arm portion of said brackets is angled such as to permit the plane of said arm portion to intersect the inclined longitudinal axis of said opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional side view of a hermetically sealed motor-compressor unit embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1, with a cover removed away,

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a bracket employed in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 4 is a schematic top plan view of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a partially sectional side view of a socket employed in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 6 is a schematic bottom plan view of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a manner of suspension according to the present invention,

FIG. 8 is a similar view to FIG. 3, but employed in another preferred embodiment of the present invention and,

FIG. 9 is a similar view to FIG. 5, but employed in another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION According to the present invention herein disclosed in conjunction with preferred embodiments, each coil spring for suspending the motor-compressor unit within the housing has one end pressure-fitted into the socket and the other end wedged by the bracket which is welded to the interior wall of the housing. To additionally ensure a rigid engagement of the lower end of each one of the coil spring which is pressure-fitted into the socket, the lower end extremity of said coil spring is formed as outwardly extending which is in turn engaged in an engagement notch formed at the base of the crankcase. This engagement notch receiving therein the outwardly extending end extremity of the coil spring is preferably closed by a portion of the motor-compressed unit.

In view of the fact that each coil spring is held in place with the lower end pressure-fitted into the associated socket of the crankcase and the upper end wedged by the bracket, no threading procedure is required during the manufacture of the hermetically sealed motor-compressor ,and also no straps and bracket combination adapted in said prior art is required. This accounts for the reduction of manufacturing costs.

Welding of each bracket to the interior surface of the housing clearly reduces the space required between the periphery of the motor-compressor unit and the interior surface of the housing and, therefore, the use of relatively small housing can be advantageously facilitated.

Before the description of the present invention proceeds, it is to be noted that like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the accompanying drawings.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, electric motorcompressor unit 10 for a mechanical refrigeration system, which is hermetically sealed in housing 11 consisting of container 11a and cover 11b, may be of any conventional type and is provided with an electric plug (not shown) engageable with socket 12 carried by the housing wall to furnish electric current to the motor. Housing 11 has inlet fitting 13 to admit gas from an evaporator (not shown) of the conventional refrigeration system and has outlet fitting 14 coupled with outlet conduit 15 from the compressor for conducting compressed refrigerant to a condenser (not shown). The housing is provided at the base of container 11a thereof with a plurality of apertured mounting flanges 16.

Motor-compressor unit 10 includes crankcase 17 shown as mounted on motor yoke 18 by means of a plurality of bolts 19 tapped through motor yoke 18 into corresponding nut-like portions 20 integrally formed with crankcase 17 at the base thereof. Crankcase 17 of motor-compressor unit 10 is also formed at its base with a plurality of cast sockets 21 suitably spaced to one another, each of which is formed with openings 21a for receiving a lower end of coil spring 22 which is pressure-fitted into said socket in such a manner as will be described later.

Brackets 23 corresponding in number to cast sockets 21 are provided on the interior of the housing wall. Each of brackets 23 is, as shown in FIG. 3, formed with leg 23a (FIG. 3, 4 and 8) secured to the inner surface of container 11a by means of spot-welding in such a manner as to permit the bracket to position above the corresponding one of cast sockets 21 and also with arm 23b for supporting the other or upper end of coil spring 22. Preferably, each leg 23a of the brackets 23 is outwardly curved as shown in FIG. 4 to conform to the curvature of the inner surface of the container 11a and each arm 23b of brackets 23 extends integrally from an upper edge of leg 23a at substantially right angles and formed therein with a pair of fingers 230 which define substantially semicircular opening 23d. The size of a space between the tops of the respective fingers 23a of arm 23b is such that arm 23b can be wedged into the convolutions of coil spring 22 adjacent to its upper end as can be clearly understood from FIG. 2 or FIG. 7.

The details of each one of sockets 21 will be hereinafter described with particular reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. As shown, socket 21 integral with the crankcase l7 laterally protrudes from the base of crankcase l7 and is provided with opening 21a and with engagement notch 21b formed on the peripheral edge of the base of crankcase 17 as clearly shown in FIG. 6. The diameter of the opening 21a is preferably smaller than the diameter of coil spring 22 so that, during the assembling of the motor-compressor unit arrangement in accordance with the present invention, coil spring 22 can be pressure-fitted into opening 210. Engagement notch 21b serves to firmly retain outwardly extending end extremity 22a of the lower end of said coil spring as shown in FIG. 7 so that no separation of the coil spring from the socket takes place even if the other upper end of said coil spring is strongly pulled. In the assembled condition as shown in FIG. 1, engagement notch 21b and a portion of opening 21a adjacent to notch 21b must be closed by motor yoke 18 with outwardly extending end extremity 22a firmly sandwiched in engagement notch 21b between motor yoke 18 and the base of crankcase 17.

In the foregoing embodiment, the arrangement is such that each one of the coil springs 22 stands straight between associated socket 21 and associated bracket 23 while the lower end of said spring is pressure-fitted in opening 21a with outwardly extending end extremity 22a firmly received in engagement notch 21b and the other end of said coil spring is engaged by arm 23!) of bracket 23 wedged into the convolutions thereof. However, in another preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, each one of brackets 23 has arm 23b upwardly inclined from the upper edge of leg 23a and opening 21a is formed in an inclined manner such as to permit the longitudinal axis thereof to intersect the plane of arm 23a at substantially right angles. In this case, each one of the coil springs 22 stands in an inclined manner.

In either of the embodiments of the present invention, prior to assembling the motor-compressor unit within the housing and during the assemblage of motorcompressor unit 10, each coil spring 22 is first pressurefitted in opening 21a of socket 21 formed in crankcase 17 with the outwardly extending end extremity 22a of said coil spring engaged in engagement notch 21b. Crankcase 17 carrying the coil springs at their respective sockets 21 is then mounted on motor yoke 18 with bolts I9 tapped through motor yoke 18 into respective nut-like portions 20 integral with crankcase [7. Along therewith, each bracket 23 is spot welded on the interior of the housing wall in the manner as hereinbefore described.

Compressor unit 10 with crankcase 17 on motor yoke 18 is subsequently lowered into container 11a of housing 11 and each coil spring 22 is upwardly pulled in any suitable manner until the arm 23b of the bracket 23 is wedged into the convolutions of said spring as shown in FIG. 7 with one or more convolutions of said spring 22 left above arm 23b, thus completing the assembly of the motor-compressor unit in container 11a.

As motor-compressor unit 10 is thus mounted in container 11a of housing 11, the end of conduit is inserted in outlet fitting 14 and silver soldered thereto, the plug (not shown) is inserted in socket 12 and then cover 11a is placed upon container 11a and welded thereto around its periphery so that motor-compressor unit 10 is hermetically sealed within housing 11. The hermetically sealed motor-compressor unit is now ready for installation in a conventional mechanical refrigeration system.

From the foregoing description of the present invention, it has now become clear that, in view of the fact that the brackets for supporting upper end portions of the respective coil springs are spot-welded on the interior of the housing wall, no alignment between each one of the springs and its corresponding bracket, which is heretofore largely required during the assembly, is required. Furthermore, with this structure according to the present invention, the space between the housing wall and motor compressor unit 10 is kept to a minimum. This space is only slightly more than the thickness of leg 23of bracket 23. Therefore housing 111 can be kept in size to a minimum with a consequent saving in space and cost of manufacture.

What is claimed is:

I. A mechanical refrigeration system including a motor-compressor unit having a crankcase mounted thereon, a housing adapted for receiving therein said motor-compressor unit, a plurality of brackets secured on the interior of the housing in suitable spaced relation to one another, openings of a number corresponding to that of said brackets and formed at the base of said crankcase of said motor-compressor unit in correspondingly spaced relation to one another and coil springs of the number corresponding to that of said brackets, wherein the improvement comprises that the upper end portion of said each coil spring is wedged into an arm portion of the corresponding bracket, with the lower end portion of each coil spring being engaged with the corresponding opening whereby said motorcompressor unit is yieldably suspended in said housing, wherein each of said coil springs has a radially outwardly extending end extremity adjacent to said other end of said coil spring and further comprising engagement notches one for each opening formed adjacent to said openings at the base of said crank case, each of said engagement notches adapted to retain firmly in place the corresponding one of said coil springs after the latter has been engaged in said opening.

2. A mechanical refrigeration system including a motor-compressor unit having a crankcase mounted thereon, a housing adapted for receiving therein said motor-compressor unit, a plurality of brackets secured on the interior of the housing in suitable spaced relation to one another, openings of a number corresponding to that of said brackets and formed at the base of said crankcase of said motor-compressor unit in correspondingly spaced relation to one another and said coil springs of the number corresponding to that of said brackets, wherein the improvement comprises that the upper end portion of said each coil spring is wedged into an arm portion of the corresponding bracket, with the lower end portion of each coil spring being engaged with the corresponding opening whereby said motorcompressor unit is yieldably suspended in said housing, wherein each of said brackets consists of a leg portion welded to the interior of said housing and an arm portion carrying said upper end portion of each one of said coil springs, said arm portion being formed with a split portion which is adapted to receive a convolution of said coil spring therethrough when. said upper end portion of each of said coil springs is wedged into the arm portion of said bracket.

l i i =l= 

1. A mechanical refrigeration system including a motorcompressor unit having a crankcase mounted thereon, a housing adapted for receiving therein said motor-compressor unit, a plurality of brackets secured on the interior of the housing in suitable spaced relation to one another, openings of a number corresponding to that of said brackets and formed at the base of said crankcase of said motor-compressor unit in correspondingly spaced relation to one another and coil springs of the number corresponding to that of said brackets, wherein the improvement comprises that the upper end portion of said each coil spring is wedged into an arm portion of the corresponding bracket, with the lower end portion of each coil spring being engaged with the corresponding opening whereby said motor-compressor unit is yieldably suspended in said housing, wherein each of said coil springs has a radially outwardly extending end extremity adjacent to said other end of said coil spring and further comprising engagement notches one for each opening formed adjacent to said openings at the base of said crank case, each of said engagement notches adapted to retain firmly in place the corresponding one of said coil springs after the latter has been engaged in said opening.
 2. A mechanical refrigeration system including a motor-compressor unit having a crankcase mounted thereon, a housing adapted for receiving therein said motor-compressor unit, a plurality of brackets secured on the interior of the housing in suitable spaced relatiOn to one another, openings of a number corresponding to that of said brackets and formed at the base of said crankcase of said motor-compressor unit in correspondingly spaced relation to one another and said coil springs of the number corresponding to that of said brackets, wherein the improvement comprises that the upper end portion of said each coil spring is wedged into an arm portion of the corresponding bracket, with the lower end portion of each coil spring being engaged with the corresponding opening whereby said motor-compressor unit is yieldably suspended in said housing, wherein each of said brackets consists of a leg portion welded to the interior of said housing and an arm portion carrying said upper end portion of each one of said coil springs, said arm portion being formed with a split portion which is adapted to receive a convolution of said coil spring therethrough when said upper end portion of each of said coil springs is wedged into the arm portion of said bracket. 